Opening or closing device for fire-box doors



No. 6lO, 443.

Patented Sept. 6, I898. M. J. GRIFFIN '& P. W. HOGAN. OPENING 0B CLOSINGDEVICE FOR FIRE BOX DOORS.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1898.-

(No Model.)

/NVENT H5.- @2%% ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES THE NORRIS PETERS co. movoumon wnumsroum. c.

V UNITED STATES ATEN'I FFIcF.

MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN AND PETER W. I-I'oeAIv, OF IsIIAND POND, VERMONT.

OPENING OR CLOSING DEVICE FOR FIRE-BOX DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,443, datedSeptember 6, 1898.

Application filed April 25, 1898. Serial No. 673,744. (No model.)

To ctZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN and PETER W. HOGAN, of IslandPond, in the county of Essex and State of Vermont, have invented a newand Improved Opening or Closing Device for Fire-Box Doors, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to locomotive and other furnaces; and its objectis to provide a new and improved opening and closing device for thedoors of the fire-box, arranged to enable the fireman to convenientlyand quickly open the door for introducing a shovelful of fuel and theninstantly close the door to prevent, as much as possible, the entranceof cold air to the fire-box and a reduction of temperature therein whilefiring up.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be described hereinafter and then pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improvement as applied and withparts in section, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the fire-box is provided with two doors A A,mounted to slide on suitable guideways 13, secured to the front of thefire-box, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The doors A A are provided attheir middle with projecting pins A A engaged by the slotted ends oflevers D D, fulcrumed on the lowermost guideway B and pivotallyconnected at their lower ends by links E E with the upper end of a barF, fitted to slide vertically in a suitable guideway G, secured to thefront of the fire-box O. Thebar F extends through and below a platform Hin front of the fire-box, and the extreme lower end of said bar F isprovided with an angular ofiset F, extending through a vertical slot 1in a casing I, secured to the platform H and depending therefrom, asshown in the drawings. The inner end of the angular offset F is rigidlyconnected with the lower end of a fo0t;piece J, fitted to slidevertically in the casing I and extending normally above the top of theplatform H, to be within convenient reach of the footof the fireman forforcing the foot-piece downward against the tension of a spring K, heldin the lower end of the casing I and pressing against the under side ofsaid foot piece.

Now it will be seen that by the arrangement described the spring Knormally holds the fdot-piece J and bar F in an uppermost position atthe time the doors A A are closed. WVhen it is desired to open the doorsto enable the fireman to throw a shovelful of fuel into the fire-box,then the fireman places one foot on the foot-piece J and moves thelatter and. the bar F downward to cause the links E E" to impart aswinging motion to the levers D D, so that the doors A A are movedoutward in the guideways B to an .open position, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. l. The fire; man is now enabled to throw the fuel throughthe open doors into the fire-box, and as soon as this has been done hereleases the footpiece J and the previously-compressed spring K returnsthe foot-piece and barF to a normal position, the bar in moving intothis position causing the links E E to impart a swinging motion to thelevers D D, but in a reverse direction from that previously given, sothat mal position. The foot-piece J is located in. such position thatwhen the operator returns from the tender with a shovelful of coal onefoot engages the foot-piece J and presses the same down into theposition it would naturally have if the doors were opened by hand, asheretofore practiced, so that the operator can conveniently throw thefuel into the fire-box while holding his foot on the foot-piece J, andconsequently the doors in an open position.

From the foregoing it is evident that the doors are opened but acomparatively short time, so that cold air is prevented, as much aspossible, from passing into the fire-box and reducing the temperaturetherein while firing up.

Having thus fully described our invention we claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent-- 7 1. A device for opening and closing doocomprising a lever connected with the door, a bar mounted to slidetoward and from the door, a foot-piece rigidly connected with said 8othe doors A A move back into a closed nor- H bar and parallel to themain portion thereof, bar and approximately parallel to the main andseparate guides for the said bar and footportion thereof, and a springfor normally 10 piece. keeping the door closed. 3 2. A device foropening and closing doors, MICHAEL J. GRIFFIN.

5 comprising a lever connected with the door, PETER W; HOGAN.

avbar mounted to slide toward and from the Witnesses: door and providedwith a transverse end or GEO. N. DALE, arm, a foot-piece rigidlyconnected with said W. H. BISHOP.

